A good night’s sleep is a rarity for some of us. You may even consider it a luxury amidst your busy schedules with family, work, businesses, and friends. We all know getting enough sleep is a crucial ingredient for us to live fully and abundantly, but this extremely basic human need almost always eludes us.
There are many factors why you couldn’t sleep well at night – emotional, mental, and sometimes, even dietary. We already listed down for you the 9 foods you should eat to sleep better. Now here are 9 foods you should remove from your evening diet to get a good night’s rest:
- Chocolates
If your bedtime snacks consist of a lot of chocolates, you’re in for a long night. Chocolate contains caffeine. Dark chocolate, in particular, gives you the same caffeine kick as if you chugged a whole cup of coffee. Caffeine keeps your body from starting the sleep cycle and promoting healthy sleep levels.
- Alcohol
Sure, you’ve heard people tell you to drink a glass of wine before bed to help you sleep. Maxine Smith, a registered dietitian at the Cleveland Clinic, told Men’s Health: “Alcohol may help you fall asleep, but it prevents deep, sound, restorative sleep later in the night.” If you fancy a glass of wine, consider having it earlier together with dinner.
- Burgers
You’re not the only one who has late-night burger cravings and we are guilty of indulging into them too. However, these sexy sliders might be the culprit behind your difficulty sleeping. Burgers have high-fat content. More fat means more acid production which means more heartburn due to fat spilling into the esophagus. You wouldn’t be able to sleep through that, would you?
- Pretzel sticks
Pretzels are made out of white processed flour, which ranks them high on the glycemic index. Munching on pretzels in the wee hours of the night can cause a spike in your blood sugar, which isn’t conducive for sleep or maintaining healthy sleep patterns.
- Cured meats and cheeses
Ah, those luxurious platters of premium meats and cheeses. Pretty much the dinner dates of our dreams. But if you’re wanting to get some good sleep tonight, they’ll have to wait. Cured meats and cheeses contain tyramine, which may increase alertness, as well as trigger headaches or migraines in some cases. Try saving these for brunch instead.
- Broccoli
As healthy as broccoli goes, these leafy greens aren’t your friends if you have trouble sleeping. They are very high in soluble fiber, which is perfect for digestion during daytime but can leave your body still digesting into the night instead of sleeping!
- Chicken
Every healthy conscious gal’s go-to protein – chicken. However, consuming this type of meat at night might not get you snoring anytime soon. Dr. Russell Rosenberg, the CEO of the National Sleep Foundation, told Health: “Digestion is supposed to slow by about 50% while you’re sleeping but if you eat a lot of protein, you digest [even] more slowly.” Try adding chicken to your breakfast or lunch instead.
- Flavored yogurt
Fruit-flavored yogurts, though delicious and healthier than other sweets, are still often packed with sugar. Sugar before hitting the sack is a huge no-no with regard to energy and sleeplessness. Doing it often will gain you some weight too.
- Spicy food
Anything hot n’ spicy will keep you up at night. Nutrition expert Erin Palinski-Wade, RD, CDE told Eatthis.com that spice levels in your hot sauce puts you at risk for heartburn and gets your circulation flowing, which isn’t ideal if you are trying to get some sleep. As the hot sauce increases your body’s temperature, which should lower and regulate itself during sleep, you only keep yourself wide-awake.
Try avoiding these types of food on your evening snack-capades and watch how your sleep quality improves!
Read the original article by Insider.
What food on the list have you been guilty of eating before bed? No judgment here, we’ve scored 9/9 on this list. Let us know in the comments below!
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